Brevo alternatives: 6 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
ZombieFast campaigns plus a transactional API and explicit subscriber states; the visual polish is utilitarian.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
installDocker Compose or a single release binary plus PostgreSQL
dataSubscribers, campaigns, templates, and analytics live in a PostgreSQL database on your server.
vs Brevolistmonk is fast and explicit about subscriber states, but it lacks Brevo's managed deliverability, broad automation suite, CRM-style contact tools, and polished visual workflow builder.
setupYou still need a PostgreSQL database and a trustworthy SMTP/API sender with authenticated DNS.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Transactional and campaign email with workflows; self-hosting is free, sending is not magic.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted signup or Docker Compose
dataSelf-hosted data lives in PostgreSQL, queues in Redis, and uploads in bundled MinIO or another S3-compatible store.
vs BrevoPlunk handles both transactional and campaign email, but self-hosting its multi-service stack and configuring SES is much less turnkey than Brevo's managed sending and compliance workflow.
setupThe self-host path needs Docker, several subdomains, DNS/TLS, and an AWS SES account with credentials and domain verification.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Campaigns, transactional API and subscription records in one compose stack; delivery still needs an SMTP provider.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installNotifuse Cloud signup or self-host with Docker
dataSelf-hosted contact, campaign, event, and analytics data lives in PostgreSQL; uploaded assets use S3-compatible storage.
vs BrevoNotifuse can hold contacts, campaigns, and transactional events, but you must supply and operate the hosting, object storage, and actual mail-delivery provider that Brevo bundles.
setupSelf-hosting needs Docker, PostgreSQL, object storage, a public domain, and a separately configured SMTP or email API provider.
facts verified 2026-08-10
The vendor's own free tier does newsletters and transactional mail; 300 messages a day is the small print.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup
dataContacts, campaigns, consent records, and message events live in Brevo's cloud; contacts can be exported as CSV.
vs BrevoBrevo Free keeps the same product and consent records, but the 300-message daily cap, Brevo branding, and paid-gated reporting and automation limits are the tradeoff.
setupAuthenticating a custom sending domain requires adding DNS records.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Marketing and transactional email share one hosted account; the free ceiling is 1,000 contacts.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup
dataContacts, custom properties, events, workflows, and message history live in Loops' cloud; contacts can be imported/exported as CSV.
vs BrevoLoops Free unifies marketing and transactional email, but its 1,000-contact and 4,000-email rolling limits are tighter and its consent/list-management surface is narrower than Brevo's.
setupYou must authenticate a sending domain and instrument your app or API before lifecycle emails become useful.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Newsletters, transactional email and consent-friendly lists with 15,000 monthly sends; one seat means one cook.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup
dataSubscribers, campaigns, automations, and engagement events live in Sender's cloud; subscriber data can be exported.
vs BrevoSender Free covers the core hosted job, but one free user, vendor branding, and its contact/send ceilings make collaboration and growth weaker than Brevo.
setupA custom sending domain must be verified with DNS records for reliable delivery.
facts verified 2026-08-10
last updated 2026-08-10 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| listmonk | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 22,600 | 2026-07 |
| Plunk | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 5,300 | 2026-08 |
| Notifuse | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 2,038 | 2026-08 |
| Brevo Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web | — | — |
| Loops Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web | — | — |
| Sender Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web | — | — |
People still pay for Brevo because newsletter operators pay for inbox placement, growth mechanics, and operational confidence on publication day. The recurring cost buys DNS authentication, reputation, bounces, complaints, unsubscribe compliance, templates, queues, analytics, backups, and support, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $108 a year.
Is there a free alternative to Brevo?
Yes: listmonk, Plunk, Notifuse and 3 more. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own Brevo?
Our verdict is KINDA. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Brevo, send a low-volume newsletter and transactional messages with clear consent records. The hard boundary is deliverability infrastructure, multichannel messaging, crm, automation, and support, plus deliverability, growth network, and integrations. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at canivibecodeit.com/brevo.
